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PRACTICE PLAN PREP

In today’s blog post, I want to talk about practice plan development and organization. Hopefully you will be able to use some of the tips that I talk about today.

I’m not here to try to convince you or suggest a specific way to organize your practice plan or your actual style. But instead my goal is to give coaches an idea that may assist them in receiving the maximum number of repetitions in practice in a short amount of time so that the athletes are successful on game day.

We divide our practice plan into three major areas that we feel are extremely important in the game of football:

  • Special teams
  • Offense
  • Defense

Our practice each day involves something we call EDD’s (which are abbreviated for everyday drills) and group work.

  • Half line play
  • One-on-one drills
  • 7-on-7
  • a variety of game-like situations which is the most important key part of a practice plan

Our main focus as a staff is to work extremely hard in what we call finishing the task on the time, to be on schedule as much as possible. The staff will strive to have a practice schedule completed the night before we go home. After practice, coaches meet, evaluate film, and make decisions on what, when, where, and how to insert or delete various things on the practice plan or based on things that may have happened during the day.

There is a base schedule that we follow for the addition of new plays and the elimination of unwanted plays. We may deviate from the schedule when necessary, but not by much. When we stay on schedule, it allows time for post-practice meetings with players and also the coaching staff is able to have family time at the end of the day.

Preparation of the practice plan

We try to find time to develop and prepare organizations of practice plans starting with staff meetings investing in a time system utilizing a clock or clock management. For example, we believe that it’s very important for a horn to be in at least one or two corners of the end zone. When you have a horn or you’re able to use some kind of time clock management on the field, not by your watch but instead a clock on the field, it allows all coaches to see how much time they have left in each period.

Keep the start time, practice start time and finish time the same. Coaches, athletes, and managers will be confused if you do not keep the schedule the same as much as possible. If you change the schedule time, be sure to notify your staff, players, and your managers, especially the equipment manager or your helpers on the field.

Coaches that believe in the practice plan and implement it

When you have coaches that actually believe in the plan, what happens is they will be prompt and eager to be on time themselves. They will consistently hammer home the importance of staying on time with their players as a position coach. The plan must assist in the development of the offense, defense, and special teams. And I say that because I believe it’s very important, especially in the special teams, that you stay on time. Many coaches do not take special teams important, but I believe that the organization of the practice plan really hammers home for coaches to really get that special teams practice in.

The practice plan schedule itself

The basic practice plan schedule rough draft for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday is completed on Sunday, before we actually go home, by the head coach. Each day immediately following a practice session during the week, coaches will meet to finalize and record additional needs and emphasis within the practice schedule. So what I’m actually saying here is that I will actually make a rough draft every single day. And I try to get it done for four days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. I try to get a rough draft together and I basically give it to the coordinators, and the offensive and defensive coordinators will bring it up in their meetings and design a rough draft to tell me exactly what times they need in a two hour and 15 minute practice period. And I will get it back to them and we’ll actually finalize it day by day. Anything that we need to delete or anything that we need to insert or re-insert will be done throughout the entire week.

Another important topic we don’t talk too much about is your weight room schedule. I do know some of my friends who are coaches out there, they will use weight room practice schedule after practice. Which, if that’s the way you do it, I respect that, but I truly believe that it should be before practice. And the reason why I say that is because there cannot be 100% effort physically or mentally in the weight room if the body’s tired and worn during the practice session and then you bring them in the weight room. I believe that the maximum effort comes from being fresh in the weight room – energized and rested bodies before practice and not after practice.

 

For more great football practice plan tips, check out my “Football Drills and Practice Plans” series, complete with video deomonstrations!     And don’t forget to Become a Fan on Facebook, where you can discuss these, and other topics with fellow coaches, players and fans!

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